ratba_tardly

snooz, the switches should go where exactly: inside the .cmd file or ? Is this a way around the AK7 limitation for stage 3 that requires a "Corporate Admin" license? Or did I get the wrong version of the AK? tanks! rat

So, geek, what are the contents of the hidden partition? I was a bit put off by the "scary" message in the BIOS, about losing the functionality once the partition is visible to the OS. (I have only had this thing since Saturday, and I have no experience with XP. Just second-hand info about all the "id*** proofing" that is built in. That's why I'm in this forum. I don't like being treated like an eejot.) Perhaps I am being naive, but shouldn't there be some sort of repository of OS install files somewhere? Like in the hidden partition? They don't seem to be on the recovery disks. I was thinking that if they exist on the hidden partition, that would be the place to copy the I386 folder from, so that one's key would work. This would be particularly useful in my case, since I don't own any CD copy of XP, just w2k3 and 2000. I was thinking of booting my Partition Magic CD and having a look around the hidden area before I unhide it. Lastly, have you posted this over at thinkpads.com? I haven't gone through it thoroughly, but I'll bet someone has tried it. Steve

geek, Please let us know if you work out a solution. I just purchased a couple of T40s with a 4 disk set of recovery disks, and I would like to recover the space used by the service partition, as well as integrating SP2, etc. into an install disk. @No6: Aren't the driver files available elsewhere? Most, anyway. rat

Recently, during a spate of installing and uninstalling software, my document page size definitions disappeared. I suspect that the latest version of Kodak's Easy Share printer/dock driver was the culprit, but I can't confirm that. No program on my W98SE computer has access to the definitions that normally exist when one wants to print. My printer drivers all work fine, and as long as the pages are 8.5x11 there is no problem. Unfortunately, I switch back and forth between "letter" and A4 often. Any suggestions how I might put these definitions back without reinstalling the OS? Thanks, rb

Okay, I think the ASPI issue merits another thread. It appears in FDV's instructions, but it is a minor install at best. I can't get the SP update to work, despite numerous errors on my part and attempts. I still get the same types of excus...errors in w2k. I need someone with w2k3 to help me out with a workaround. I bought the software from surpluscomputers.net for $120 because it was cheaper than XP, and I don't need fluff add-ins. But it is wearing thin. A friend dropped off a pirated copy of w2k today. I think I'll try that with FDV & TommyP's method. Fodus. (Portuguese for F--k) Had dinner with a sexy French-Canadian woman tonight. I could use some good lines in French! :-) rb

Okay, found the -s switch info. The 2k laptop is using FAT32, as is the network drive. Rats! (sorry) I am about to lose both machines, and I can't get this to work. I am going to try moving all the files to the 2k machine's drive and see if I can really screw up his machine! No, I will just try it with the directory specified. I hope this works. rb

fdv, On the XP machine I get message about not having admin rights to update XP. Since I know I won't get those anytime soon, I went next door and borrowed my neighbors laptop running w2k. When I run the help switch, I get expected help screen, but no -s switch is listed. Huh...? What is the -s switch for? Undocumented, no doubt. Running the update command on the 2k machine gets me a message about "failing to copy some or all the files necessary" message. The second "Please check that" asks if the "format of the destination directory is correct." Does it need to be an NTFS formatted drive? Anyway, I can't see any files that have been updated. Regarding your comment about doing an IE-less version of your files for 2k3: I'd be your first customer! I don't have the skills or knowledged to do this, having looked over the Method for 2k. I hate IE, but not enough learn all that you apparently know about the structure of windows. Thanks for any suggestions. rb

@tommyp I will look at that KB more closely. Meanwhile, let me refresh my question. I am preparing an install of 2k3 using the method as described by you and fdv on his site. The only piece missing at this point is verifying whether or not SP1 is actually getting into i386 as described. I run the update command from the prompt and immediately get another prompt, no indication that anything has happened, file dates don't change, nothing. So, perhaps the XP/2k3 instructtions need to have another line or two inserted to reflect what M$ claims. Because, as I am using an XP machine to build the source, since I don't have access to any other, I am not getting the expected result. Anyway, thanks for looking up the KB. I guess I should have, but it didn't occur to me that this would be a M$ problem (silly bunt). @yzowl According to this link from fdv, adaptec, 2k3 is supported. Also, for anyone with doubts about using XP drivers for anything, have a look here to see some mysteries debunked. I don't know from firsthand experience, yet. rb

@saugatak, Thanks. I figured I'd get a "RTFM" reply! Just shows to go ya... @tommyp The ASPI layer has to do with SCSI devices, and I guess some ATAPI devices as well. Nobody cares to advise about the update.exe question? I don't think anything happens when I run the command like the instructions say. I thought of something though...I am using a mapped network drive for "D:" from the XP machine, which is my wife's laptop from work. I don't know why this would make a difference, but it is the only thing I can find that doesn't conform exactly to Fred's instructions. The files extracted from the 2k3 installation disk in D:\i386 have a date stamp of 9/10/03. The SP files have a date of 3/25/05. The files in the D:\i386 don't change. She is going to be taking this laptop back to work Friday, so I would like to wrap up soon. Thanks, rb

fdv, Ok, I will do the ASPI thing later, or use Oleg's suggestion. What! I will end up with IE in 2k3? Auggghhh! Oh, s***e. Would you please comment about the update command? It seems like there ought to be some way to verify that the changes in i386 were performed. I can't follow Oleg's comment at all. Thanks, rb

Yzowl, Thanks, but that is completely confusing. Maybe I am out of my depth here. rb

crash, Strange that that same step is not in the 2k3 Method. Since it applies to more than just IE, it would still be useful, wouldn't it? The walk-through would be helpful. I have little or no experience with these things in the NT to XP world. An additional question about using the command d:\sp\i386\update\update.exe -s:d:\ (using Fred's example in step 2.): shouldn't the file dates change in D:\i386 as a result of the update? Nothing happens when I type the command as shown, except that I immediately get a new prompt. It seems like I should see something going on. rb An additional question about using the command d:\sp\i386\update\update.exe -s:d:\ (using Fred's example in step 2.): shouldn't the file dates change in D:\i386 as a result of the update? Nothing happens when I type the command as shown, except that I immediately get a new prompt. It seems like I should see something going on. rb

Okay, I am going through the Method, and I am nearing the finish. Regarding get the Adaptec ASPI Layer files going into \WINNT\SYSTEM32 directory, what files should I place in the directory after unpacking the .exe from Adaptec? The files still require futher expansion to be used. A recent thread mentions editing FDV's fileset. Is this fileset created after running HFSLIP the second time (Step 11)? Step 5 also has me a bit confused. When/where do I generate the .REG tweak files to put in the HFSVPK folder? Registry Tweakage must be run on the machine I am using to generate the ISO? (Which is an XP machine. I do not have a copy of 2k3 installed yet.) Thanks for any help. rb

riz, what did you say? I have been around windoze long enough to know how to install and uninstall drivers, whether from diskettes, CDs, downloaded files. No matter where I have the files, or which ones I use, the NIC is not working .Windows either tells me that ...oh, nevermind.

Wait...what I said was, I will use my computer at work to build the directory (ies) and then take it home on a CD or DVD, thereby eliminatiing the need to install the OS first at home, only to reinstall without all the junk. Then I was talking about what a pleasure it will be to spend my last ten days on the job goofing off rather than doing an honest day. I can't see what the "insult" was, right down to the smiley. Saug, what the hell are you talking about?!

Mitsu, All the usual methods are not working. The entire mb driver set (Intel 815) was picked up with no problems. And the original OS install was for a different brand of mb. I have deleted the NIC entries in Safe Mode, I have used various install entryways, I have tried various drivers. Nothing seems to work. Windows either tells me, even after I delete in Safe Mode, or thru regedit, that the correct drivers are installed, or they are not the drivers for the hardware. Which is really weird, because even the Compaq install routine for exactly this board/chipset/nic combo, results in nothing useful. There has to be some key somewhere...

So, re-reading the "methods" again...I could build the CD on any 2000 or XP system? I.e., muh haahhahaa, at work? While I am supposed to be actually productive? Well, that presents an easier challenge! All the updates are local, too. Please tell me that this is the way to go, I am done in ten days, and I would much rather j..k off than give another ounce of flesshhh... rb

Thanks KAndle, but this even novices know. I am talking a serious, "I have deleted regkeys, logfiles, in safe mode, etc." kind of problem here. Somewhere, there is an entry I can't get to or find with deep searching. The old board never had a NIC, so... why this problem? I have used Compaq's drivers, Intel's drivers, and nothing.

fdv, Quite the history. I guess you have your experience on other systems to back your decision. I sort of wish I had stuck with OS/2 in 95. Granted it might not be workable anymore, but it felt a lot cleaner than windoze. I haven't had the stomach or time for Linux, beyond a cheap, diskette-install router. Anyway, so how do make this as painless as possible? I am not looking forward to all nighters to get this going. There is no getting around installing the OS once as MS intended I assume. Server OS because I saw it on sale, did some reading, and thought that maybe some of window-dressing crap that MS shovels into their consumer OS would be left out. And I have a small network in the house. And I love to tinker when the weather gets too chilly for drinking beer outdoors. Not that I should, but anyway... rb

I had a MB crash out on one of the kid's computers, an old Athlon. Replaced it with a board scavenged out of a Compaq EN 667, without reinstalling the OS (ME). Following a couple of guides, everything has gone pretty well so far. But I can not get ME to let me install the drivers for the onboard NIC. No matter what I do, I either get the message that the best drivers are already installed, (and the NIC doesn't work) or that no drivers were found (on the floppy, CD, etc.,) (and the NIC doesn't work). Any suggestions as to how to get rid of whatever is blocking the drivers from installing? There was no NIC in the old setup, either. Thanks, rb

Okay, I have been to Fred and Tommy's site and gone through the guides to get an idea of what this is about. This thread is pretty daunting, however. My question is this: can you give me the least difficult path to using one these techniques without having 2K, XP or 2K3 already installed? I can't seem to find a reason that one needs to be running them, but there is a statement to same in the first few lines. I would like to do a clean install. See, I have never gotten past 98SE at home. I have used 98lite and thought that it would strip the crap out, but either MS code is just impervious to this sort of manipulation or the program was not quite as slick as it should be, or maybe I am just too non-technical about programming. I have a copy of 2K3 on the way, because I am sick of 98 not working, but I am not willing to go tra-la-la-ing down the yellow brick MS road either. I have used any and every browser but IE since 1996. Except at work, where I got a wrist slapped for running Opera off a data stick. Oooohhhhh.... To close, I think it is great that you all have come up with this and I have to admire Fred's candidness on the site. It makes me wonder why you all bother to run windoze at all. Thanks for any input, rb